Starter mechanism



E..R. HUNTLEY Filed ont. e. 192@- Aug. 25, 1931.

INVENToR; Ernest R )funi/gy oRNEYs;

Patented Aug. 25,1931

UNITED STATES Pigrlailar j lOFI-ICE f ERNEsT R. I-IIINTLEY,l OE MILWAUKEE,

WIsCoNsIN, AssIGNOR To INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH CORPORATION, or TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION E DELAWARE STARTER MECHAN'ISM j y Appncatin inea October s, 1920.` serial No. 415,157.

This invention relates to starting mechanism for engines and is intended to kbeused primarily with that type of starter which is associated with the fly-wheel ofthe engine and is adapted to make connection therewith.

, motor shaft is not made instantaneously and Starters of this type have been employed wherein afgear connection is made between the motor shaft and the fly-wheel of an internal combustion engine, but this' type of drive is objectionable in that it is ordinarily requisite that disconnection of the gears be made, hence unless thej gears readily mesh they are sub 'ect to severe strains andl breakage resulting from improper operation.

One of the primary lobjects of this invention is to employ a type of clutch connection Abetween the starting motor andthe engine iiy-wheel which is entirely frictional in -nature. With such a typer of drive it is immaterial as to the exact time or point of contact of the motor element and the engine element and'consequently the difficulties resulting from improper-gear connection are done away with. f f

Myinvention attains also as an object, the result following from the fact that after contact with the friction yelements is `made,'the force of contact is entirely dependent upon the load driven so that only suiicient energy is derived from the motor and storage battery, f

in case an electric motor isemployed, to turn the engine fly-wheel to start the engine. y

' Afurther obj ect contemplated is the utilizat-ion of a tvpe of drive wherein'the connection to the fly-wheel and also the disconnection therefrom arefmade in a mannerentirely automatic in nature. The attainment-of this object is particularly desirable in'vconnection with electric starters, in as muchas injury to the armature of the motor and to its other Y' working parts may/result very-easily if disconnection between the engine-fly-wheel and automatically. v y o In connection with friction drives the ordinary7 type heretofore used have been subect to a lateral pressure upon the motor shaft tending to warp the same and it is therefore an important lobject of this mechanism to provide means for preventing, to a very large element of the clutch.

extent, any tendencyv to out of proper alignment. f

f Further objects and objects relating to Veconomies of manufacture and details of construction will become apparent Vas I proceed with a description ,of that modiication of my invention which I have shown in the accompanying drawing: wherein is shown a longitudinal view partly in section of the motor and driving mechanismand a portion of the;

fly-wheel of the engine. 1

Briefly considered the invention resides in the employment of a one wayV clutch device fastened to the motor shaft, the clutching elements ofwhich are slidable axially on the mof tor shaft and into engagement with'the sides of a groove cut inthe rim of the fly-wheel. I

the fly-wheel casing. Between; the bearing 14 andthe motor is theone way clutch which I have indicated as 15. Y In its elements this-- clutchis formed of'a cylindrical band 16 fixed to the motor shaftby a key 17.' This band has ,itsymaximum diameter at its centerv 1.8 and tend ai@ motor Shea adjacent either'vend a surface is cut away to form portions of lesserfdiameterl9k,for a;

purpose hereinafter to ybei described, yThe sideedges of this band larecut away to form a series of vnotches 20 one of the'sur- Vfaces ofA each Ynotch being parallel to the axis of the shaft as at 2l and the other surface22 being inclined so tliatit converges toward the center 18 of the band in the dil rection in whichA the motorshaft normally rotates to operate the clutch.

`The band 16as above described with itsv inclined or notched edges formsl the wedging `The driven portion of the clutch consists of two slidable elements mounted upon the band so as to engage the fly-wheel and at the same time make'connection with the central band. In as much as these two driven elements are identical. in shape, one only will be described7 similar reference characters referring to likeparts.'

The movable element 23 is approximately cylindrical in form and has a larger diameter which is adapted to have sliding engagement with the central portion 18 of the band and a portion of lesser diameter 25 which is adapted to have sliding engagement with the end portion 19 of the band 16. The outer end of the cylindrical member is formed with an internal radial flange 26 which extends to the motor shaft and may have a bearing; thereupon, This flange, as is apparent from the drawing, is adjacent the edge of the band 16 with the notches therein so that a series of housings formed at each notch encircles the motor shaft. Within each oi these housings is positioned a ball or roller 27 which, when in the portion of the housing; wherein the notch is nearest the center of the band. is freely movable, but which, when at the other extremity of the inclined portion of the notch, is wedged in between the annular internal flange of the movable member 23 and the inclined edge 22 of the notch.

The inner end ot the cylindrical member 23 has integrally formed therewith an external flange 28 and the outer surface this flange is adapted to contact with the inner side 29 ot a groove 30 cut in the periphery of the fly-wheel 31 of the engine to be started..

Positioned between the internal Hanges of the two sliding elements hereinbefore mentioned, and the motor on the one en d and the bushingr 14' on the other, are two spiral springs 32 and 38 which are normally under compression and tend to urge the movable members of the clutch inwardly with reference to the band and therebv disengage the friction members from the fly-wheel. Y

The normal operation of the clutch is as follows: The motor has direction ot rotation such as to cause the balls or rollers 27 to move outwardly along the inclined surfaces 22 of the notches. This movement results in a wedging action bv the rollers against the course, dependent upon the resistance offered bv the load of the engine so that the greater the load the Qreater the pressure exerted between the friction elements and thus the more assured the drive connection between the motor shaft and fly-wheel.

As soon as the engine has started under its own power the ily-wheel accelerates very rapidly carrying therewith the movable members which, in as much their speed is temporarily in excess of that of the motor shaft move the rollers into the area of the housings where they can exert no wedging action and the springs 32 thereupon areifree to exert their pressure and move the frictionmembers out of engagement with the ily-wheel.

As previously indicated, there are two of these movable members 23 and due to the fact that their movement is axial along the motor shaft, pressure is exerted upon the lywheel also in this direction so that a very little lateral pressure is made upon the motor shaft, thus removing to a maximum degree any warping` tendency.

It should be observed that motion to the movable-members is imparted by virtue o'l' the inertia of these members in relation to the acceleration of the motor sh aft. At starting, the sudden speeding up of the `motor shaft causes the relatively heavy movable elements to slip and thus the wedging action is aided. However, if, after the engine has started, the operator tails to disconnect the electrical connections, assuming that an elecy trical motor is employed, the speed of rotation'oi the movable members and the motor shaft will be approximately equal and hence therevwill be little, if any, inertia effecttending to cause the movable members to slide into contact with the ily-wheel. This result is very advantageous in as much there will be little opportunity for breakage due to carelessness on the part of the operator.

l am aware that the particular embodi-4 ment of my invention described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing' is susceptible of considerable variation without departing from the spirit thereof and therefore I desire to claim the same broadly asV a motor having an extended shaft; a cylindrical band secured to said shaft extension; said band having edges formed in a plurality olf notches with relatively inclined surfaces;` a plurality oli annular friction elen'ients slid-- ably mounted on'said band, each of said ele-V ments having' an inner radial flange at one end and an outer radial flange at the other end; said inner llange having bearing,r on the shaft adjacent the band edgge and said outer flange having` bearing on the sleeve; and a? plurality oli balls placed in thenotches between said inner flange and band, said balls bein@P adapted to wedge the friction elements into contact with the engine member when the motor is driving the engine.

2. In an engine starter the combination of an engine member; a motor having an extended shaft; a band lixed to the shaft: a portion oiE the edge of said band being inclined. inwardly to form a notch; an annular friction member slidably mounted on the band, said friction member having' an edge turned inwardly adjacent the notched band eds-re to form with said notch a housing, and said friction member having an edge turned outwardly to form a friction liange adapted a plurality of driving elements slidably` to contact with the engine member; a ball in said housing between the notched band edge and the inwardly turned edge ofthe friction member; and resilient means adapted to move said friction member out of engagement with the engine member.

3. In a starter mechanism for engines the combinationv of an engine wheel having a radial groove cut in the periphery thereof; a motor having a shaft extended in juxtaposition to said groove; a cylindrical band fixed Y A to the motor shaft, the edges of said band mounted on said shaft; means for movingV said driving elements awayfrom each other forming a wedging connection between the driving element Vand shaft; and additional means forming a frictional connection between tlie driving element and member to be driven.

' In testimony whereof, I aihx my signature.

ERNEST R. 'IIUNTLEY having a plurality of notches cut therein so that one of the faces of each notch is parallel to the shaft axis and the other face of each notch is inclined inwardly toward the band center in the direction of the normal rotation of the shaft; two approximately cylindrical members mounted on the band so as to have sliding and rotative contact therewith; and outwardly extending. flange integral with each member, having bearing on the band adjacent its middle portion and extending into the fly-wheel groove, said flange being adapted to contact with a wall of the groove; an inwardly extending flange integral. with each member, said inwardly extending flange forming with the inclined band edge a series of wedge shaped housings; a plurality of rollers placed one in each housing; and resilient means tending to move said members out of Contact with the walls of the groove.

4. A clutch device for engine starting mechanism7 comprising a motor shaft; a band comprising the power element of the ballclutch device, said band having its edge formed in a plurality of inclined wedging surfaces; a sleeve slidably mounted on the band and forming the driven element of the ball clutch device, said sleeve havingan end projecting over the band edge and turned inwardly tokform a flange; an outwardly turned flange at theother end of the sleeve, adaptedto have frictional contact with the load to be driven; a plurality of balls, one ball having a position between each inclined wedging surface of the band and the inward mev ly directed flange of the sleeve; and resilient means associated with the sleeve normallyr tending to urge the sleeve and connected friction flange out of contact with theload.

5. In drive mechanism, the combination of a driving shaft; a gear adapted to be driven having an annular groove formed in its periphery; and a power transm1tt1ngele- Y ment slidable on said shaft; wedging means Y y adapted to cooperatively engage a wall ofsaid groove when the shaft is rotated in one direction, and to disengage it with said Vgrooved wall when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction and means to normally hold said element in disengaged position.

6. In a starter mechanism, the combination of a driven member; a driving shaft; 

